Wells under flood waters need testing

July 14, 2005

Albany- Many are still cleaning up damage from Hurricane Dennis. Problems may linger even longer for people with private wells. If the water is cloudy, muddy, or the well was underwater in recent flooding, health officials say it should be tested.

Before you call the health department to a request a test, you should begin the decontamination process.

"Take a gallon or two of bleach and put it in a five gallon bucket and dilute that with a couple more gallons of water and then pour that through the sanitary well seal into the well and let it sit for a little while," said Melvin Jones, Environmental Health Program Director.

Use a hose to circulate the water for 20 minutes and run all the faucets until you can smell the bleach. The bleach should stay in the well for 24 hours before it is flushed from the system.

The Dougherty County Health Department will begin testing wells next week. The cost is $25.